Storm Across the Galaxy
by Carmarie
Summary: Jedi younglings swept along in the wake of the Clone Wars find themselves thrust into early apprenticeship, and a Sith acolyte vying for the approval of his master hires a former pickpocket to spy on them. (Currently being rewritten)
1. Naboo Orbit

_=Sith starfighter, Naboo orbit=_

A Republic transport shuttle sailed out of hyperspace to glide into orbit above the small, lush planet of Naboo. Ricco Bene, drifting inconspicuously in a small starfighter, had arrived several minutes before, and was waiting for it.

He watched it carefully begin its descent into the atmosphere, keeping his own engines switched off and floating undetected in space. Bene touched a finger to his headset where it rested over his ear, listening in to the transport's communications channel. Once he'd heard what he needed to hear, he switched on the fighter's holotransmitter.

The transparent blue image of a Sith lord blinked into view and shifted as the holotransmitter's tiny speaker produced an answer. "You've arrived, I presume?"

"Yes, my lord. Our intel was accurate. Their ship has just been cleared for landing on Naboo."

"Good. I trust that you'll be able to carry out your mission as planned?"

"I won't fail you."

"I'm sending you some coordinates to a port where you can land without detection."

"Thank you, my master."

"You do understand the importance of what you may uncover today."

The image of Darth Tyranus flickered and Bene tried not to roll his eyes. They'd been over the plan several times. Bene was well prepared, and he thirsted for action, not theory. "I guess I'll find out," he replied.

"See to it that you do."

"Yes, my lord."

Bene switched off the holotransmitter and guided the fighter through the atmosphere to land at the coordinates he'd been given. He had work to do.


	2. Arrival on Naboo

_=Republic transport shuttle, inbound to Naboo=_

"Attention, passengers: we've just been cleared to land in the city of Theed and are now making our descent into Naboo's atmosphere. Please return to your seats and fasten your restraints."

Arin Falkner scurried back into her row, glad to grab a window seat before any of the other Jedi younglings in her clan. She pressed her nose against the transparisteel window. Swirling white clouds and glittering blue oceans made Naboo look like a gem, one she could have admired for hours. A bright atmosphere clung to the curvature of the planet, and Arin could hardly tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. Naboo was _beautiful_.

It was the first time she could remember being off-world. She'd been raised in the Jedi temple on Coruscant, along with her five clan mates, and in her twelve years had never remembered calling anywhere else home.

One of her clan mates, Zade Kype, flopped onto the empty seat next to Arin; his thickly tressed Nautolan head nudged hers aside slightly as he tried to look out the window, too. "Aren't you gonna put on your restraints?" asked Zade, pulling back his head.

Arin glanced away from the window for a moment at him. His huge black eyes blinked at her expectantly as he awaited her answer. "Right." She drew the restraint straps down from her shoulders to her hips, turning back to the window.

"You're not gonna see a giant fish from space, you know."

Arin scowled at him, tearing away from her view. Zade laughed and leaned back in his seat as they sank lower and lower to the surface.

It was the ten-year anniversary of peace on this planet, marking a treaty between its two resident nations and the overthrow of the Trade Federation's violent occupation. The Jedi Order, which had a hand in those events ten years ago, had been invited to attend a yearly conference followed by a big parade and celebration. Field trips were uncommon for younglings, but Master Yoda thought this would be an educational opportunity not to be missed.

Arin, however, was most excited about a trip to Naboo to see the giant fish that dwelled in the planet's oceans and deep-sea caverns. They were so huge they bordered on mythological.

"See any monster fish?" asked Kel-Ani Koori, a tall Cerean in her clan, after they had landed gently in Naboo's capital city of Theed.

Arin shook her head, following the others out of the shuttle. When she stepped outside, she was greeted by a gust of cool, salty air and warm sunlight. It was warm, and local time, she guessed by the sun's position, was late afternoon. Before her was a bustling city, a sea of green copper roofs and stone streets with thousands of people, but it was much, much smaller than Coruscant… She didn't have to crane her neck to look up and see it all. The buildings ended after just a few stories.

Arin was the last out of the shuttle, and along with her five clan mates (Zade and Kel-Ani; Moraye Had-Nihye, a Mirialan; and humans Isaac Halyon and Naia Storm Derry), there were four Jedi: Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barriss Offee, Plo Koon, and Agen Kolar. But with them was someone Arin didn't recognize.

It was a woman, and she was very petite. She had her dark hair tied in an intricate hairstyle and wore a long, elegant blue gown. Arin immediately liked her. Blue was her favorite color.

The stranger was standing on tiptoes to count everyone who had arrived, and nodded to Arin once she saw her. Then, she spoke. "Good morning, members of the Jedi Order, and welcome to Theed! My name is Kloré, and I'm one of Queen Jamillia's handmaidens. There's an escort waiting for you, and I've been sent to bring you there and show you to your quarters."

Arin perked up. The queen had sent her?

"Thank you, Kloré; we'll follow your lead," said Master Plo, falling behind her has she turned to walk up the street. Everyone picked up their suitcases and followed.

Naia, bright-eyed and wild-haired, scampered forward to address the petite handmaiden. "Excuse me, do we get to meet the queen?" she asked eagerly.

Arin poked her head around the Jedi she was behind to see Kloré smile as she answered, "Oh, yes. She'd like to introduce herself to you personally once you get settled in."

Naia practically clicked her heels, grinning widely. Arin fell too far behind to see any more of the fascinating handmaiden, but she didn't mind. She'd ask her about the giant fish later.

"Some city, huh?" asked Zade, who had settled into step beside her.

"Yeah," agreed Arin. From the ground, the buildings appeared much taller. The clear sky felt huge, and she couldn't stop looking up at it.

An airbus flanked by three security officers brought them to the palace. Arin gaped as it came into view; it was a truly magnificent structure with towers, domed roofs, and gigantic windows. They were staying _here_? Arin looked around the airbus to see that the rest of her clan shared her reaction.

Kloré laughed, and told them a little about the history of the palace as they filed off the bus and through security. She led them into the palace, along cavernous hallways bathed in shafts of light from towering windows, through perfectly-manicured verdant gardens, and up a wide, regal staircase that sent echoes with each footstep. Arin couldn't help a smile from spreading across her face.

Her eyes wandered about the hall. It had a very tall ceiling supported by thick, smooth-looking columns. When she looked back down, her gaze fell upon Isaac Halyon (no one called him Isaac; he'd been Halyon for as long as they all could remember) who was also sizing up the room. Halyon was a bit of a troublemaker, and Arin couldn't imagine what he was planning. He caught her eye and winked. Arin shook her head knowingly as she looked away, amused.

The six younglings were given their own suite to stay in while the Jedi were led further up the hall. After everyone had settled in, they met the Jedi outside near their quarters. Master Luminara presented a loose itinerary for the rest of their trip.

"Kloré, we'd love to see the castle, if the Queen ready to see us," said Plo Koon once everything was agreed upon.

Kloré nodded, and looked like she was about to speak, when all three Jedi masters' comlinks rang out at once.

Master Kolar looked down to his wrist at his comlink, which was flashing. His brow knotted as he looked to the other two Jedi masters.

"A private message?" Barriss Offee whispered to her master, who put a finger to her lips.

Master Plo remained impossible to read. Merely, he nodded in response. "Younglings," he said, stooping slightly to address them. His voice was deep and gentle. "We'll have to convene for a private meeting. Kloré, will you escort the younglings back to their chamber?"

Kloré bowed in reply.

"You are not to leave the chamber until one of us comes to get you. Please stay inside with Kloré," Plo Koon added. "Now, hurry along."

"What's going on?" asked Zade. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss a private message with you right now," said Plo Koon calmly. "Be on your way. We'll come to get you when we're finished."

"Come with me, younglings," said Kloré soothingly. "You heard your master."

With a huff, Arin followed the group back to their chambers. Just before leaving the Jedi, she had glanced over her shoulder to see Master Kolar and Master Plo debating silently, but when she rounded a corner she lost them from sight.

"It's not fair," Zade whispered to her. "Why don't they tell us what's going on?"

"It's _Jedi_ business," said Halyon under his voice. "When are the Jedi going to take us seriously? We're twelve, about to be apprenticed in just one more year. Whatever's going on, I want to help."

"We _can't_," muttered Arin. "Master Plo said he can't tell us."

"Yeah, but why? What's so important that we can't know?" Halyon demanded. He glanced around to see that no one else was listening.

"We just got here, too," Zade whined. "I can't believe they're sending us back to our chambers."

"Well, they were very nice," offered Arin.

Halyon smirked. "Yes, they were very nice. But we did just get here… why not take a tour ourselves?"

"Disobey?" Arin asked incredulously.

Kloré looked around, and the three younglings fell silent. "Here we are," she said, opening the door for the younglings. They all shuffled inside, and Kloré locked the door behind them. They sat on the plushy rug, sulking slightly, and waited.


	3. Bene Waits

_=Sitting Room, Theed Royal Palace=_

Ricco Bene, who had touched down in a Theed suburb hardy half an hour previously, was right on schedule, as always. He'd beaten the transport shuttle and intercepted their emissary just in time. A smug smile spread across his face while he waited in an empty lounge in the Theed palace.

He kicked up his feet onto a table, his heavy boots making a loud thud. Now it was time for him to wait and see how things would unfold. _Patience,_ Darth Tyranus had always said, stroking his white beard placidly.

And Ricco Bene was practicing just that. Patience. All was going to plan, so far. No one had asked him any questions at the spaceport. He'd found the queen's handmaiden his master had indicated with no trouble, and she'd been surprisingly compliant. The weak-minded were so easy to manipulate through the Force, he thought.

Upon hearing the echoing of footsteps approaching, he'd stood and flattened himself against a wall to listen to who was coming. When they had passed beyond the archway, he saw them: not the Naboo Royal Guard, but the younglings who'd come with the Jedi he'd been sent to spy on.

His master was a smart man, training Bene to always plan not one, but two steps ahead if he could. Those younglings had a part to play in his master's plan. The six younglings had whispered among themselves as they passed right by him without noticing, led by the very handmaiden he'd mind-tricked. His master had told him exactly what he needed to do, but Bene had learned from his master, and had planned ahead to create himself a little helper, willing or unwilling.

Ricco Bene flopped down onto the sofa again. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back, letting his yellow eyes slide shut as he basked in a beam of sunlight from a tall window. It wouldn't be long until the fun began.


	4. The Sith Acolyte

_=Younglings' Quarters, Theed Royal Palace=_

Arin tried to catch Halyon's eye, but he was looking another way.

"Why so glum, guys?" Kloré asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Hey, I know how we can pass the time. I'll teach you a fun game we like to play here on Naboo while we're waiting for something." Naia and Kel-Ani perked up. Moraye looked bored. "I'll be right back," said Kloré, and she strode to the other side of the room.

Was she far enough out of earshot? "Halyon!" hissed Arin. "What are you doing?"

He looked over to her. "Nothing, yet." He nodded to Zade, who stood.

"Zade!" Zade held up a finger to Arin as he walked over to Kloré.

"Hi," she said warmly. Arin stared.

Zade waved his hand in a slow arc. "You will let us leave the room."

Arin watched Kloré blink. Zade was trying a Jedi mind trick? There was no way he'd be able to do that. No class at the temple had taught them how. Kloré wouldn't buy it.

But … her eyes glazed over. "I will… let you leave the room." She ambled to the door and unlocked it, pushing it open.

Everyone's jaws dropped.

Halyon sprang to his feet and punched Zade playfully. "Dude, you did it! Come on, let's go." The two of them jogged to the open door, pausing for a moment to turn back. "Well?" asked Halyon. "Who's coming?"

No one moved. Naia shifted uncomfortably.

"No way. You guys are acting like idiots. Master Plo told us to stay here," Moraye said reproachfully.

"I don't want to get in trouble…" said Kel-Ani.

"We're not gonna get in trouble," Halyon said. "Nobody's going to know. We're just going to eavesdrop."

"They'll know you're there," insisted Moraye. "They might be testing how well we follow orders, you know."

"Or, maybe they just think we're too young to help and they're treating us like babies. Which is wrong," Zade retorted. "Well, if you guys are just going to stay here, that's fine-"

"I'm coming," said Arin, scrambling to her feet before she could realize what she was doing. Oh, she'd probably regret this. But she had to know.

"Ha! Good on yourself, Arin," said Zade.

"Wait! Arin." Naia stood as well. She waved Arin hurriedly over with one frantic hand. "Let me show you something really quick." Naia grabbed her by the wrist, tugging her to the girls' beds. Under her breath, she muttered, "I'm staying here. Something's wrong." She glanced at Kloré furtively. "I want to find what's up, too, but we're staying here. Take this." She pressed a comlink into Arin's palm, and Arin clasped her fingers around it.

"Okay." Arin nodded briefly and hurried to the door where Zade and Halyon were waiting.

Zade turned to Kloré, who was blankly holding the door for them. "Thanks. And, uh," he waved his green hand again, "you won't tell anyone we're gone."

"I won't tell anyone you're gone," she repeated.

"Uh, good," said Zade. "See ya." He pulled the door shut, and the three younglings stared at each other. Now what?

"I didn't think that would work!" said Halyon. "That was incredible."

"Thanks," Zade replied sheepishly. "Arin, what did Naia want?"

Arin opened her tightly-clenched fist to show them the tiny comlink. "She needed to give me this."

"What's that for?" asked Zade.

"It's a comlink, duh. It lets us communicate with her."

"I know what it is," said Zade exasperatedly. "That was really smart. So she wants us to tell her what we find?"

"Yes, but she said they're staying with Kloré. I think Naia thinks there's something weird about her."

Halyon's eyebrows lowered. "Come to think of it… I think she's right. I can't tell what it is, though."

"Me neither," answered Zade.

"Well, there's definitely something going on," said Arin.

"Yeah. Let's go find the masters," Halyon said, nodding decisively.

They took off on a light jog back to the hall where they'd met before. No one was there.

"Is there a meeting room or something?" Zade asked.

Arin paused. "We could ask someone. But we also might not want anyone to see us."

Halyon raised a finger. "Hold on. I think… I think they're this way." He pointed left down a long corridor. "Come on."

"How come you're so sure about that?" complained Zade.

"Just a hunch," Halyon explained with a shrug.

Arin felt a strong presence suddenly. "I think I sense it as well," she piped up. This one felt strange. There was a certain unease she'd never felt before. Something was terribly wrong, but at least they were on the right path to find out what.

Zade made a face. "Whoa, yeah, I just got it too." Zade was always better at sensing things that were close to him, not far away, much to his chagrin and everyone else's amusement usually.

"Stop." Arin skidded to a halt, putting out her arms to catch the other two. They proceeded on the balls of their feet. They knew that they weren't too far away from the Jedi's secret meeting.

"They might sense us if we get too close," Halyon warned.

"Right," said Zade. "Do you think… do you think we could tune back into their comlink channel?"

"I don't know… maybe. Let me see that," he replied, tapping Arin with an outstretched hand. "We _could_ but only if they're receiving some sort of external transmission for us to jump onto…"

They settled into a nook beneath a twin set of wide staircases, puzzling.

"How do we know if they are?" asked Arin.

"No clue," muttered Zade. "We should've brought Kel-Ani. He'd know how to do this."

"If I could just isolate the audio feed… Oh! I- I think I got it," said Halyon softly, fiddling with the little comlink. "Ssh."

They huddled around the comlink intently. Arin steadied her breath and held it, barely breathing for fear of making too much noise. She had no idea if tuning into their channel was two-way and the Jedi could hear them as well. She strained her ears to hear for Master Plo, Master Kolar, Master Luminara…

There. Bits and pieces came at first, then became more clear as Halyon found a stronger signal. "Terrorist attacks on Coruscant…Obi-Wan…" Master Kenobi, oh, she knew of him. This was Master Kolar's voice. "… taken captive? If the Jedi Council is planning to mount a rescue mission..."

"Mace, you need _how_ many?" Mace, as in… Master Windu? Arin knew that name too.

"As many as we can get." This was a tinny reply, like it was being patched through over a holotransmitter.

"Luminara, what are you going to do?"

"I will go, of course, as will my padawan. She is capable," Luminara said in her melodic accent.

"Thank you, Master." That must've been Barriss.

"We may not be able to secure a transport until tonight," said Master Luminara.

"It can't be helped. Come as quickly as you can," replied the tinny voice.

"And we have younglings with us," Master Kolar interjected.

"I know where we can send them for the time being." That was Plo Koon. "It seems we don't have many options before us."

Another voice, much closer to them and _not_ on the comlink, spoke lazily. "Didn't your masters ever teach you not to eavesdrop?"

Arin's eyes widened as she whirled to see an unfamiliar tall, cloaked Jedi with a red lightsaber drawn and held boldly at his side. Halyon scrambled to turn off the comlink. Arin paled. Was this the dark side? Was this what they'd been feeling today that they couldn't put their fingers on? The Jedi let his hood fall and shook choppy brown hair out of his abnormal yellow eyes.

"It's quite rude, you know," he added with a smirk. He stood between the staircases, blocking their exit.

Zade and Arin locked eyes immediately and Arin knew they were all thinking the same thing. Could they make the jump onto the stairs or the ledge above? Could they lead him from the Jedi? Arin felt Halyon's forearm against her stomach as he slowly pushed her and Zade behind him, nearly against the cool marble wall. He was buying them time, observing before making any moves.

The dark Jedi cocked his head at Arin. "If one of you tries to run for it, I'll slice you to pieces." Arin's heart raced; she felt like electricity was jumping up and down her arms as she reached for her own lightsaber…

"Stand down, please." A deep, clear voice echoed through the huge gallery.

Master Plo!

The dark Jedi looked around. "Ha! Good to see you, Plo Koon."

"The pleasure is mine."

Halyon shifted, darting out to the side, but the dark Jedi threw out a hand and clenched; Halyon froze in his tracks, caught by the Force. "Ah-ah," the dark Jedi chided. "You're not going anywhere, youngling." With a flick of the wrist he slammed Halyon against the side of the stairs, and the disgruntled youngling slid down to the floor, glaring back at the red lightsaber blade pointed squarely at his face.

"Let them go, please," said Plo Koon calmly.

Arin and Zade both drew their lightsabers while the dark Jedi was distracted, and – _zuuum_. The blades of light extended in unison, held low at their sides but ready to defend.

"There is no need for violence," the Jedi master insisted.

"No need for _violence_? Is that so?" The dark Jedi jabbed his lightsaber, stopping mere inches from Halyon's throat. Arin's grip on her lightsaber's hilt tightened and Halyon flinched, reaching to draw his own saber from his utility belt. Before he could reach, the dark Jedi threw it aside using the Force. "What did I tell you, youngling? Don't. Move."

Arin and Zade exchanged glances. Could they take this creep? Two twelve-year-olds against someone twice their size?

Their decision was made as Luminara Unduli, Bariss Offee, and Agen Kolar leapt from the staircases above to stand between them and the dark Jedi. From behind Master Plo, Arin could see the Naboo Royal Guard running up the corridor, brandishing blasters.

"Give up. You're outnumbered," said Plo.

"Very well. You caught me," the dark Jedi said patronizingly. He withdrew his blade and clipped it into a utility belt, then raised his hands in surrender.

Two guards advanced cautiously to apprehend him, but with his raised hands he made a large, forceful yank and tore a huge window inwards. Shards rained down into the gallery, and for a moment the splintering of glass was deafening. When Arin pulled her shielding arm away from her face, she saw that the dark Jedi had already jumped from the gaping hole. Guards rushed to the jagged window frame.

"Gone!" one confirmed.

"Well, track him down! Alert the queen's bodyguards immediately," commanded Master Plo.

"Yes, sir!" The guards left in formation.

Arin pushed past the three Jedi in front of her and scrambled to Halyon; she and Zade helped him to his feet. A thick line of blood ran down his face.

"Halyon! Are you all right?" Arin asked breathlessly.

"I'm okay," he said, plucking a shard of glass from where it was embedded above his eyebrow. Arin shuddered. She looked around. Everyone else looked unharmed. A ring of glass lay around Master Plo. He must've used the Force to shield himself. And the guards had their helmets to save them, Arin hoped.

"Is everyone all right?" Plo asked gravely.

"We're all okay," answered Zade. "Who was that?"

Agen Kolar crossed his arms and answered darkly, "It was a Sith acolyte. He was probably here for some sort of terrorist operation, just like the ones on Coruscant."

"Terrorist operation?" Halyon repeated.

"That's enough," said Plo. "Younglings: Agen, Luminara, and I need to leave Naboo right now. Where we're going, you can't come with us."

"Why not?" Zade demanded.

"It's a dangerous mission. I trust that you're all brave enough to come with us, but it's important that you focus on your studies," Plo replied gently.

"Who's going to watch us?" asked Arin timidly.

Plo sighed. "It appears that Kloré was influenced by that acolyte if she let you out."

"Oh… actually…" began Zade bashfully. "It was me. I did the trick."

The Kel Dor master chuckled. "If only it were you, young one. Thank you for your honesty. No, I'm certain the acolyte was behind that one. He must have followed you three for some reason. We didn't just come here for the conference. We were also following a lead suggesting a Sith presence here, but we have no more time to investigate, regrettably. I'll speak to the Jedi from the enclave on Bespin. They should be able to arrive no later than tomorrow to retrieve you. Until then… I want you to return to your quarters."

"Aww," Zade groaned.

"How did you get to us so fast?" Halyon asked, pressing a hand to his bloodied brow.

Master Luminara reached into a satchel before replying. "Use this," she said, handing him a bacta patch and adding smoothly, "we noticed you tap into our comlink feed. We took the liberty of stationing members of the Guard nearby to answer any calls we made if we feared we were being overheard."

_By who, us?_ Arin wondered. Or did they know the Sith acolyte was here, too?

Plo straightened, and Arin knew that if she asked, she wouldn't receive a good answer. He said, "I'll request guards to stand at your door. I assure you, you will be quite safe."

"What about Kloré? Is she all right?" Arin asked.

"Kloré should be fine," answered Plo Koon. "I have met her before and I trust her wholeheartedly. Overpowered by a dark Jedi, she may have been, but I doubt that she will allow that to happen again. I trust her to lay her life down for you all if need be."

"Oh," said Arin, taken aback. She frowned, uneasy.

"I'll escort you back to your quarters," said Master Kolar. "Come along, young ones."


	5. Escape from the Palace

_=Palace Gardens=_

Throwing his hood back over his head, Ricco Bene swore. He'd been so close. If he'd just listened a little while longer he could have discovered perhaps a little bit more…

But somehow, despite all his careful planning, the Jedi had anticipated his move and were _still_ a step ahead of him.

He vaulted over a wall to exit the palace gardens, rolling out of the fall to land on a cobblestone street. He took off at a run, drawing his cloak close to him.

How could he have been so stupid? Of course, he definitely could have used the younglings as a bargaining chip to get the Jedi to work with him. That much had been a solid plan from the start. He knew the younglings would be curious and would try to find out what the Jedi were up to- his intel on them was good. So, he had used the tried-and-true mind trick to force the handmaiden into letting them go if they asked. He'd wanted to make her look like a traitor to the Jedi, but of course Plo Koon would show up and see right through that.

Bene knew what the Jedi were up to, and he knew what kind of meeting the younglings would find once they were loose. The Jedi on Naboo had just been summoned to join a rescue mission on Geonosis to liberate Jedi Knight Kenobi and his little pet Skywalker, along with some stuffy senator he didn't care much for.

Bene's master Tyranus, known to the galaxy publicly as separatist leader Count Dooku, was behind their capture, and had briefed Bene on all that already. The Jedi had just now become aware of the situation, and were planning to counterattack this move by the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems… The Confederacy was, of course, just a puppet for the Sith to take down the Republic, but the Jedi didn't know about this. And they wouldn't until it was too late.

Darth Tyranus had shared many of his plan's details with Bene, expecting him to serve as a spy, an investigator, and an intimidator. But from this mission Bene hadn't gotten much new information. Aside from perhaps stirring up a little fear and chaos, he had failed, and despite his best planning had acted too rashly, too impatiently. His master would _not_ be pleased.

Shoving aside a group of slow-moving merchants, Bene tore down the street. It wouldn't be best for him to leave the system now, not like this. If Bene couldn't discover more of the Jedi's plans, then perhaps he could at least delay them from leaving for Geonosis. Yes, he could delay them. He could not fail the Sith, not if he planned on becoming one of them someday.

_I'll make sure that's someday soon_, he thought, as a plan formed in his head.


	6. Otoh Gunga

_=Younglings' Quarters, Theed Royal Palace=_

Back in their quarters and left briefly alone while guards questioned Kloré, Shadowmoth Clan had a hurried, hushed discussion.

"Arin!" Naia kept her voice low as they grasped each other's forearms in a worried greeting. "What happened?"

"I think we only have a little bit of time," Arin answered. She explained their misadventures quickly.

Kel-Ani's jaw dropped. "We had no idea. We could sense something weird about Kloré, but…"

"We never would have guessed she was being controlled by a Sith acolyte," Moraye admitted. "That's really scary."

Zade butted in: "The Jedi are leaving; you know that, right?"

"Well, we've heard by now," Moraye said, crossing her arms. "Why can't _we_ go?"

"Master Plo said we have to focus on our studies," said Arin.

"Studies, my foot," Halyon snorted. "The Jedi came here to investigate that Sith acolyte."

"But_ we're _here for the conference," said Kel-Ani. "Master Yoda-"

"Well, what if we're not?" Halyon interrupted. "What if this is some kind of test? What if the Jedi are just leaving us because they want _us_ to find out more about the acolyte?"

Everyone was silent.

"Plo Koon seems to know him already. And they said something about Master Kenobi and a rescue mission," Arin reminded him.

"But I think they_ knew_ we were listening," Zade said, looking to Halyon for support. "They might've just said that to make their absence more believable."

Arin was about to reply when the door opened and Kloré and the guards stepped back in. With them was another handmaiden, dressed in the same long blue dress as Kloré.

Kloré looked to the ground, not meeting the six pairs of eyes upon her. "Hello, younglings."

"Hello," said everyone.

"I assume that you three have been told my… situation," she said, addressing Arin, Zade, and Halyon, who nodded. "Everyone, this is Sairdé." She gestured weakly to the other woman beside her, who was considerably taller but had the same dark hair and complexion.

Sairdé curtsied. "The Jedi have asked that we escort you to Otoh Gunga, where they believe it will be harder for the Sith acolyte to infiltrate."

"Otoh Gunga is the capital city of the Gungans," explained Kloré, "the other sentient race inhabiting Naboo. It's an underwater city and it's very well-guarded."

Arin felt like a nerf being herded, but she followed the two handmaidens and the two guards along with everyone else from a palace back door to a waiting shuttle. It was barely an hour's ride (but the sky grew dimmer with every minute and Arin could watch the sink down to the horizon), and after they landed on a landing platform overgrown with vegetation, they were led down to a dock over a lake where an amphibious transport was waiting for them.

Arin stepped onto it warily. Nobody spoke. She wanted to appreciate the strange vehicle for the bubble that closed over it as it descended beneath the water's surface, its strange tentacle-like propellers, and the funny noise it made, but she found herself unable to. She felt as if they were going much too far away from the dark Jedi.

From the back of her head, a nagging voice ate at her. Could Halyon be right? Was this a Jedi test? What were they testing for? Obedience, or bravery, or maybe problem-solving style? Perhaps there was no threat at all and this was merely a very elaborate drill or scenario?

"Here we are," said Sairdé. Her voice was clear and strong, and it made Arin jump slightly when it broke the silence in the transport's cabin. She wondered if Kloré was in trouble, and if Sairdé was her boss who'd been sent to remedy the situation.

She didn't wonder for long, because the city of Otoh Gunga came into view before her. It was a brilliant, luminous underwater city. The buildings weren't like anything she'd seen before- instead of towering up from the ground they were suspended in the water. They were giant, warmly-colored bubbles supported by spindly curved spires, and joined together by narrow, arching tubes.

They approached one of the bubbles. Arin gaped. How would they get off? There was no landing platform; no hangar. Certainly they were about to get very wet.

But they didn't slow down; instead the transport pushed right through an opening in a wall and they were inside. Arin looked around, eyes wide, as the transport opened and everyone began to step out.

"Watch your step," cautioned the guards as they helped Kloré and Sairdé out, who were followed by Arin and her clan mates. To Arin's amazement, they were all completely dry.

Sairdé smoothed her skirts. "I believe there should be someone to meet us… ah, here he is."

Striding up to them was a tall Gungan dressed ornately in long robes. He had a loping gait, and extremely long… ears? Or were they fins? Arin tried not to stare rudely. This was the first Gungan she'd ever seen in person.

"Greetings, handmaidens; Royal Guard; young Jedi." His voice was deeper than Arin expected, and he then spoke with characteristic fragmented Gungan Basic. "Mesa Ko-Mal Roosin, and wesa the Gungans been tasked with watchen you. Wesa keepen you safe from the Sith acolyte on the loosie."

"What _is_ an acolyte, anyway?" whispered Zade to Kel-Ani.

"Tell you later," Kel-Ani whispered back.

"Mesa be takin' yousa to yousa quarters," said Roosin. "Thissa way. Hup!" He turned, and his long finlike ears spun around behind him.

"Go ahead, younglings," said Kloré, gently herding them in front of her as Sairdé led them after Roosin.

Arin shuffled along, right in front of Kloré.

Roosin was explaining some Gungan customs, and for a moment it almost felt like they were on a simple field trip once more. Arin's attention wandered to the giant bubble dome around her head. It was translucent and warm-looking. Now she recalled what they were. They'd done some studying on Naboo architecture; these were hydrostatic domes that kept water out. If she pressed hard enough on a thin doorway section, she'd go right through it, and after coming back in, she knew the bubble would cling to most water on her clothes so she'd be fairly dry. She had no intention of going outside, however. The water around them looked cold and dark. Arin strained her eyes to look for any giant fish, or any transports who might have carried a Sith, but she saw nothing except schools of small, shadowy fish flitting about.

As they were led through the city, Arin caught up to Halyon. His dark hair obscured his face, and Arin could tell he was deep in thought. She touched his elbow gently. "Halyon. Do you really think this is a Jedi test?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Do you think the Jedi have left yet?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think so. We came on Republic transit so nobody has their own ship. They'll need to book a transport to wherever they're going. That takes some time."

"I bet that Sith acolyte is still there, too. What if they need our help? What do we do?"

"I don't know."

"Research," said a voice behind to their right. It was Kel-Ani. "We need to know more about this intruder you saw before we even think about chasing after him. If we learn more about him, we can find him."

Halyon considered. "That's a good point."

"How?" asked Arin.

"We'll find the archives. They might have one here. But Theed probably has the best one, at the university," said Kel-Ani. "Once we're finished with this tour I think we'll get a little more freedom." Arin and Halyon nodded, and they followed everyone else, quietly devising a plan and carefully staying out of earshot of the handmaidens and guards.

They were fed a supper of shellfish, small amphibians, and seaweed. Omnivorous Jedi didn't normally eat meat unless it was served to them, so Arin had never eaten an amphibian before, having never encountered edible ones on Coruscant. She found it slimy, and she cut the meat into tiny bits to make it look eaten and hid it under a large glistening leaf. Arin couldn't help noticing that everyone seemed distracted, but no one more so than Kloré, who merely pushed food around her plate blankly.

After supper, Arin hung back to tug on Kloré's sleeve. "Miss Kloré?"

Kloré looked around, startled. "Oh, hello. Arin, right?"

"Mhm." Arin nodded.

"Arin, you didn't eat much. Don't you like the food here?"

"Um…" Arin bit her lip. "Well…"

Kloré gave a small smile and lowered her voice. "Me neither. Can't say I really like the frogs."

They both made a face and laughed. Arin then quieted. "Miss Kloré, why is Miss Sairdé here?"

"What do you mean? What's the matter?"

"Is she here because you did something wrong?" Arin clapped her hand over her mouth. That had come out meaner than she'd meant to say it. "Sorry," she peeped between her fingers.

Kloré clucked her tongue. "Well. I suppose she is," she said dryly. Then she put her hand quickly on Arin's shoulder. "Don't get me wrong. Sairdé and I are friends. We get along quite well."

"Oh," said Arin, lowering her hand as her face heated with embarrassment.

She noticed Halyon falling back so he could listen in. This was part of their plan; they would ask Kloré to help them leave for the archives on the surface in Theed. There, they could help the Jedi and hold back the acolyte so they could leave to wherever they were going. It sounded like the Jedi had an important mission, staged or not, and Shadowmoth clan would not fail them. If this was a test, they aimed to pass with flying colors. Arin took a steadying breath and let the Force guide her. She couldn't blow this.

"Well… is Sairdé here to keep us under control?"

Kloré frowned. "She's here as my backup."

"Backup?" Arin asked, trying to get Kloré to admit guilt of failure. She felt very mean doing it, but she needed Kloré to say it so Halyon could jump in with his part.

"My… ugh, why am I telling you any of this?" Kloré withdrew and rolled her eyes towards the surface. "I'm sorry. None of this is your fault, Arin. I just… I let the Jedi down. I'm frustrated and I didn't mean to lash out at you. I apologize."

Arin held her breath, and then Halyon jumped in, falling into step next to them.

"I overheard," he said. "I think I know how you can regain the Jedi's trust."

Kloré shook her head. "They told me about you, Isaac. Everyone calls you Halyon, right? I know what you're going to try to ask me." She sighed. "You guys are very smart. I see what you're doing. No, I'm sorry, but I can't let you out of my sight again. Plo Koon is trusting me and I can't break that."

"Come with us," suggested Halyon. "You're not our babysitter."

"Kloré, hear us out," Arin pleaded. "We need to get to the archives in Theed so we can do research on this acolyte who tried to attack us."

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Kloré weakly.

"Don't you want to redeem your name? And stop that Jedi from trying to hurt anyone else?" Halyon eyed her seriously, staring her down with his piercing grey eyes.

Kloré fidgeted uncomfortably and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not concerned about my own reputation," she said faintly. "Besides, that's a job for the Royal Guard."

"The Sith acolyte took advantage of you. You know what that feels like. What if he tricks another handmaiden? What if he tries to hurt the queen?" Halyon asked carefully.

Arin put her hand on his forearm to stop him. "Kloré," she said softly. "No one blames you. Master Plo, he trusts you to do the right thing."

Kloré looked down wearily. "All right. Perhaps my place is back in Theed."

"Ours too!" said Halyon helpfully. "We want to help."

"The Jedi won't be here to protect you," Kloré reminded them.

"They might still be here. _We're_ going to help _them_," said Arin. "Besides, you can't go without us. _We_ know what he looks like, and _we_ remember what his presence felt like, so we have the advantage. But we can't leave without you. We need each other."

Kloré grumbled. "Ugh, you two sure are persuasive."

"_All_ of us are going," said Arin. "We have to get to those archives." Arin crossed her arms to look more serious.

Kloré nodded tiredly. "I suppose we'll need to leave as soon as possible, huh? I'll have to ask around for some help."

"You know locals?" Arin asked. "Gungans?"

"Yes," said Kloré. "Tayla Gar lives here. We've been friends for years." She paused. "Man, I'm gonna get in so much trouble for this. Well, my career is on the line, anyway. Okay. So, Tayla knows the underground rivers and a low-profile way in and out of the city."

Kloré looked around to see that no one was listening in. The rest of Shadowmoth clan was ahead of them, listening to Ko-Mal Roosin and Sairdé discussing the city's history.

She continued in a low whisper. "I'll contact her and see if she can help us. In the meantime, keep a low profile. Spread the word. But… Don't act too suspicious." Halyon raised his eyebrows at her. He'd been an expert at sneaking around all his life. "You guys know what to do, I guess," Kloré said with a groan.


	7. Magic

_=Break Room, Security Station, Theed Hangar=_

"Yeah. Can't believe it! A no duff Sith acolyte runnin' around… Yes, we'll head there right away… Nelson out."

Officer Dag Nelson switched off his comlink and rounded on Vin.

"Okay, _Magic_." Vin Rajik straightened at the sound of his nickname as Nelson sized him up and down. They were in the middle of dinner when Nelson had gotten an urgent call. Vin's mouth was full of five blossom bread, leftovers from a function earlier in the day, and he gulped attentively. Nelson sighed. "They've got a job for us."

"Yeah?"

"Channel's been buzzin' with word of a Sith acolyte in the city. He blew out a window of the palace. They've got a squad patrolling there."

"A real Sith?" Vin asked.

"Not necessarily; could be someone they hired. But they said he's got that Force mumbo-jumbo. Kinda like you."

"I'm not a Force-adept," Vin reminded him dully.

"Well, kid, you might as well be. Hogan asked for_ you _specifically-" he jabbed Vin in the chest good-naturedly- "to check it out."

"Me? Why?"

"Well, you're a kid who don't like to be found. I guess they think you'll be good at spottin' others who feel the same way."

"Fine." Vin set down his dinner remorsefully. "Where am I going?"

"They last saw him scale the wall and run along the Street of Glory. Pushed a couple of folks. Now he's gone."

"What does he want?" Vin asked, rising and brushing crumbs off his uniform.

"Who knows? He's a Sith. You can't negotiate with them," replied Nelson, likely recalling his brush ten years ago with the last Sith to visit Naboo. He never shut up about this Darth Maul in the three years Vin had known him. "Let's take a ride around Theed, shall we?"

"Sure," said Vin wanly, and followed Nelson out of the break room. Nodding to a few of the other guards as they left, they made their way to the garage. The Naboo Royal Security Forces were on alert, halting spaceport departures and locking down the main hangar. But they'd been given clearance to take a speeder by the palace's Royal Guard, so they were cleared to go within moments.

Vin settled into the passenger seat while Nelson drove as always. "You know the deal, kid. I drive, and you use your magic."

"You got it," said Vin.

Vin was 17, and for the past three years, he'd been Nelson's ward. He'd only been on Naboo for that long, and he'd come to make a quick buck stealing, conning, and counterfeiting. But when he'd been caught pickpocketing a veteran of the Naboo Royal Security Forces, the law caught up with him. Dag Nelson, however, was merciful and saw potential in him. Perhaps he could be useful to Naboo's security forces with his experience in underground affairs and his talents in stealth and cunning. Vin was offered the choice of jail time, or two years of service as Dag's ward. He'd chosen the latter, and over the years developed a begrudging respect for Nelson that morphed into friendship, even. Vin had served out his sentence, but he'd chosen to stay. He was doing what he did best, working his magic…

Vin's sharp green eyes surveyed the streets they ambled down from their speeder, looking for any signs of strange activity. As the sun set, street lights began to glow. The dark would make good cover for a fugitive. Vin was searching for someone who didn't want to be found, and if he or she was as good as Vin, the search might be a bit tougher.

Good, a challenge. Staring at security camera feeds all day had been dull from day one. Vin wished he'd seen some action like Nelson had. He'd dealt with day-to-day crime like kids reprogramming official droids, the customs office reporting smugglers, guard duty during parades, et cetera, et cetera. Now something was actually happening for a change.

Vin licked his lips as he looked to his left in Nelson's direction.

"See anything?" Nelson asked.

"Nothing, Nels."

"We're makin' a pit stop at the guard office in the palace. Hogan wants to see you. Maybe he can drop you a few more clues."


	8. Klore's Plan

_=Otoh Gunga=_

Shadowmoth clan was taken on an evening tour of the Otoh Gunga Zoological Research Facility. Sairdé was quite knowledgeable about all the animals there, especially the ollopoms. While they watched ollopoms frolic and swim about, Kloré approached Arin, Halyon, and Naia.

"She'll take us in the middle of the night. The most inconspicuous way is through the underwater tunnels, and Tayla is as good of a guide as any I can think of. There will be guards at your door tonight, but wait for me to come get you and we should be clear to go," said Kloré. "Sairdé is expected at the palace soon; we'll leave after she does."

"Sairdé is already going to Theed anyway?!" Halyon asked.

"Yes. Keep your voice down," shushed Kloré out of the side of her mouth. "She's the queen's decoy. She was only sent here to straighten out my mess."

"It wasn't your fault…" Arin trailed off.

"We're going to have to do a lot of sneaking around," commented Naia, and began ticking off on her fingers. "We don't want the Jedi to know we've left. We don't want the guards here to know we're gone. _And_ we don't want Sairdé to see us. Halyon, are you sure this is going to work?"

"No. But do you have a better idea?" he asked. "Anyway, your friend Tayla. Where do we meet her?"

"We'll meet her at her home. She's taking us in her personal transport. It seats six, so we'll have to squeeze in. She's doing us a _very_ big favor, so I expect you all to be very polite."

"Yes, ma'am," said the three younglings, and returned their attention back to the zoo tour.

Since they'd left in a hurry, their suitcases had been left on the surface. They went to bed that night behind a guarded door in hastily prepared beds. Kloré had told them all heavily to get a _good night's sleep_, and that she would wake them, not, of course, specifying when. Eventually, Arin fell asleep dreaming of the Otoh Gunga Zoological Research Facility.

In the dream, she visited the facility zoo again, and behind every transparisteel pane was the dark Jedi she'd encountered that day. She treaded carefully past each enclosure; his keen yellow eyes followed her every step. Suddenly the transparisteel shattered like glass and Arin jerked awake.

She sat up and looked around. She wondered how long it had been since they'd gone to bed. Naia and Moraye were sleeping soundly. When was Kloré going to come to get them? It was still quite dark; they were in a nearly opaque dome that branched off a much larger common room. Arin felt the wall squish as she pressed her hand against it, and a glow rippled out from her fingertips to brighten the room slightly. She worried that if she pressed too far it would break and flood the room.

Moraye and Naia hadn't seen the Sith acolyte like she had. What was his name? Where was he from, and how did he know Master Plo? Arin's mind filled with questions and she hugged her knees to her chest. Did Sith sleep, too?

Arin swung her legs out of bed and tiptoed to the door. She wanted to talk to Zade and Halyon. Were they having a hard time sleeping, too? She paused to think for a moment. Hopefully, the guards would let her past and she wouldn't foil anything Kloré was planning.

So Arin decided to leave to find Zade and Halyon. She pressed her fingertips to the hydrostatic door. Strangely, it was much thicker than the walls. Arin had read about these, but they were still completely unfamiliar to her. She walked through it, shuddering. She'd expected to get wet, but she emerged quite dry.

The two human guards stationed at her door jolted, then relaxed.

"What are you doing up?" One of them asked, tipping his helmet up so she could see his face.

"Hi," she said confidently, trying to mask that she'd been shaken by her dream. "I want to talk to my friends."

"The boys?" asked the other, lifting his helmet as well. He had a square jaw and wide-set eyes that blinked at Arin sleepily.

"Yes," she answered. She stood up as tall as she could. "Will you escort me?"

The guard on the left smiled softly. "You're name's Arin, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Arin. We're told not to let you wander around tonight."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?"

"Well, that's a different story," said the guard on the right. "Do you have to go?"

"Yes," Arin lied.

He grinned, looking like he was unable to help himself. "This place is great. You can do your business right on the floor and it goes straight away."

"What?" Arin's eyes widened. What if she was standing in pee right now?

"Seriously," the guard on the left confirmed with a laugh.

"There's no bathrooms?" Arin's face fell.

"Sorry, kiddo."

The guard on the right put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's best if you go get some rest. Your friends need a good night's sleep, too. You can talk to them tomorrow, okay?"

Arin put her hands on her hips in protest. "Wait, I'm thirsty."

"I'll go get you some water," said the guard on the right. "I could use a walk."

Arin frowned. "Never mind, thanks. Good night."

"Good night, Arin," said the first guard, and his voice became muffled as Arin walked back through the bubble and went back to bed. She laid awake waiting for Kloré, staring through the translucent ceiling at the dark expanse of water above her.


	9. Hogan, Panaka, and the Jedi

_=Palace security headquarters=_

Vin and Nelson jogged stride for stride to the palace guard offices as soon as they parked their speeder, and pushed through a set of double doors to the meeting rooms. At the other end of the spacious atrium, Vin saw Sergeant Hogan, the man who had called to meet them. Hogan was not alone; with him was Captain Panaka, head of the security forces and the queen's official bodyguard, and four Jedi.

Nelson whistled softly. "Whaddaya know," he said out of the side of his mouth to Vin. "It's a bunch of Jedi."

"Well, they _were_ invited," Vin replied quietly. They squared their shoulders as they approached the group.

Before they could utter any greeting, Captain Panaka spoke abruptly. "Officers," he said, nodding to them curtly. "These are the Jedi invited from Coruscant to attend the Peace Day celebrations."

"How do you do?" said one politely. He had mottled, orange-ish skin and wore a strange dark mask over part of his face. It obscured his eyes and his mouth… if he had one at all. Vin recognized him as a Kel Dor. He'd seen a few of those in his wandering years before coming to Naboo. They needed those masks to breathe in oxygen-rich atmospheres. Unluckily for them, oxygen-rich atmospheres were the dominant type in the galaxy.

"Honor to meet ya, sir," replied Nelson with a crisp salute.

"Officer Dag Nelson, correct? My name is Plo Koon. This is Master Agen Kolar," he gestured to the long-haired Zabrak to his right, "and this is Master Luminara Unduli and her padawan Barriss Offee." He swept a hand in the direction of the two Mirialans to his left, and continued, his deep metallic voice sending echoes throughout the room. "It would seem that, due to an urgent call from outside the system, we may be unable to attend your festivities tomorrow morning."

"We heard about a Sith acolyte," Nelson offered.

"Right," cut in Panaka. "The spaceport is on lockdown, and unfortunately for the Jedi, we've got to run thorough checks on every Republic pilot and ship in the city. Our main systems are down, no thanks to this Sith acolyte, I'm sure, so we have to trace everything through a much older system."

"Can't you Jedi fly a ship yourselves?" Nelson asked. "Why do you need a pilot to take you?"

"We are capable pilots," explained Plo Koon. "As are many of the Naboo guard. However, whatever ship we take may have been traced and bugged. Our destination is classified and we can't risk a Sith acolyte having knowledge of our departure or location."

"So you have to check everything and everyone with less-than-operational computer systems," Nelson stated flatly.

Panaka frowned. "Unfortunately-"

"Did no one get a good look at this guy?" Vin interjected.

"He was wearing a hood," Panaka explained with a hand wave. "We don't have much of a reliable lead."

"How'd he get past palace security?" Vin asked.

Hogan, who'd been standing quietly the whole time, answered in the usual abrasive tone he reserved for speaking about the palace guard force, who he generally viewed as snobs who thought themselves superior to the wider-ranging Naboo guard. "It would seem that with the festivities at hand everyone was a lot more preoccupied with the palace _grounds_ more than the interior itself."

"We believe he may have used a sort of mind trick on someone who works inside the palace to get in," declared Agen Kolar tactfully.

"A mind trick?" Nelson repeated.

"Yes," said Luminara Unduli, folding her hands together. "Sometimes those with Force abilities can use the Force to influence the minds of others."

_A Jedi mind-trick,_ thought Vin. _She's being delicate. Those only work on the weak-minded and the weak-willed. _

"I see," said Nelson vaguely. "So until you find a ship and a pilot who check out, the Jedi are stranded here?" Vin tried not to roll his eyes. Nelson, if he knew the Jedi were stuck here, would probably try to tail them as long as he could. The Force fascinated him, as would any tale of Sith he could try to milk from them.

"So it would seem," said Plo Koon.

"What's our part in all this?" Vin asked, jutting out his chin and crossing his arms.

"Listen, kid," said Panaka gruffly. "Everybody says it's me who has the quickest eyes on Naboo. But you've got some fast eyes, too. I'm preoccupied with watching what leaves the city. I need_ you_ to watch what goes on from the inside."

"Okay…"

"Nelson's got nothing but praise for you," Hogan added. "Like that time you spotted those smugglers, and the time you tracked down Mauritu and his thugs. You certainly know what crime looks like-" Vin's eyebrow twitched at the backhanded compliment, but he kept his expression level- "and you know what to look for."

"So you're putting me on patrol duty."

"The most important damn patrol duty you'll ever have," Panaka spat. "The queen will not call off the celebration. She refuses to be intimidated. You know what this means to the people of Naboo."

Vin nodded tiredly.

Panaka continued. "You know what terrorists do. They spread _terror_. It's our job to find the threat fast before the media catches onto this and there's widespread panic. And if we stop that from happening, then we don't let him win."

"I understand."

"So you and Nelson," Hogan resumed, "are going to be our eyes and ears in the city's shadows. The Jedi have assured us that the Sith acolyte is still here in the city. And you're going to find him. You're to dress like civilians and report anything suspicious that you see. _Anything._ Those are your orders. Got it?"

"Yes sir," Vin and Nelson said, snapping to attention and saluting.

"Dismissed."


	10. Leaving Otoh Gunga

_=Lake Paonga, just outside Otoh Gunga=_

An hour after Arin laid her head back on her pillow, Kloré had retrieved them, and they tiptoed past an unguarded door to make a clear, unhindered trip to the home of Tayla Gar. Now they plunged through a hydrostatic wall in her six-seater amphibious transport, headed into the depths of Lake Paonga, which would connect them to the underwater river system flowing into Theed.

Arin couldn't see much past Tayla Gar's pinkish ears, or fins, or whatever they were. Arin wanted to ask but she didn't want to look rude. She was the smallest of the group, so she sat sideways, partially on Zade's lap, who was squished next to Naia and Kel-Ani. Halyon and Moraye sat in the front, crammed between Kloré, who was copilot, and their Gungan driver.

"Wesa through," commented Tayla Gar. Her voice was high, and when she spoke it was like water pouring into a tall glass, smooth and always bubbling higher. "'Tis called a bongo, this ship wesa in. Now, through the tunnels wesa gonna be travelin'. 'Tis the fastest way to Theed. Yousa younglings okie-dey in the back?"

"We're fine," grunted Naia pleasantly as she squirmed in her seat.

"Hey," protested Zade.

"Is not supposed to be drivin' with thissa many and no restraints," Tayla said. "So yousa best not be tellin' nobody 'bout this."

"Don't worry," assured Kloré, determinedly staring ahead, "nobody's going to know about this little adventure of ours." Then she twisted around to look at the younglings in the back. "You have three hours, and we'll be back in bed in Otoh Gunga before sunrise. _Just_ research! If any of you get hurt…" she sank back in her seat, "…oh, I'll be done for."

"Relax, Klorie. Everything will be ju-u-ust fine. Mesa pick you up in perfect timing when yousa finished. Whatcha researchin'?"

"We have to do some research for the Jedi about someone," Naia piped up from the back.

Arin had to look up through the bubble window above them to see out. It was mostly dark aside from light scattered by the bongo's headlights. No light given off by the city reached them now. They sank deeper and deeper, and a giant rock face loomed before them, swallowing them as they entered a narrow cavern.

"Wesa gettin' deep in the abyss now."

Arin shuddered. The caves were dark, and goose bumps prickled on her arms. It was colder down here, too.

They rode along, weaving in and out of cavernous tunnels. They emerged at last into a wide trench.

"Uh oh!" said Tayla, jerking the steering wheel suddenly.

A massive eel with huge claws and fangs slithered away, recoiling from the headlight beams. Arin gaped. Finally, her whole reason for coming here: a giant fish.

"Wesa almost ran into a colo clawfish," Tayla exclaimed. "Hope that one's not too hungry, otherwise wesa might be becomin' dinner…"

"Colo clawfish…" Arin repeated quietly.

"There's your fish. Now you can die happy, Arin," said Kel-Ani dryly.

"Shush. We're not gonna die here," said Zade, grinning at Arin.

"Right," said Kloré. "We're about to begin our ascent back to the surface any minute now. We'll have to follow one of the Solleu River's underground tributaries."

"The river that runs through Theed is fed from underground entirely, right?" Moraye asked.

"Not entirely, but mostly," said Kloré. "There's a lot of hills, but the whole planet's pretty flat for the most part. You saw from the shuttle yesterday. Okay, here we go."

In about twenty minutes the bongo breached the surface and rocked to a halt, floating on a still side-canal between two tall walls. Arin assumed these were buildings, and when the hydrostatic bubble sifted away to expose them to the night air, she looked around to see that she was correct.

They leapt off the transport after Tayla Gar guided them to a dock, and constructed a hasty plan. They'd meet back in two hours exactly, just to ensure they made good timing. Wishing each other luck, the group split and departed.


	11. To Catch A Sith

_=Theed Plasma Refinery Complex=_

"Magic? Are you paying attention?"

Nelson nudged Vin with his elbow as they walked, taking another lap around a yet another level in the power generation facility. It was familiar to Vin. He'd patrolled it many times before, often with Nelson. Nelson was practically smitten with the place; he'd point to each structure they passed, noting, "Those catwalks are where Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul dueled," or "Obi-Wan Kenobi got stuck behind this very laser gate," or (this was quite possibly the one Vin had heard the most), "Did you know that at the bottom of this shaft, they never found Maul's body?" (Nelson would add conspiratorially, "either half.")

Vin sighed. "Yeah, I'm paying attention. Look, Nels, shouldn't we be out in the city more? We're dressed like civs, even." Vin tugged at his civilian attire- the dark brown shirt was only half a shade lighter than his skin, adding to the feeling of nakedness he already felt from being on duty with no uniform.

"Maybe, but if you want to catch a Sith, you should think like a Sith."

Vin shuddered. Thinking like a Sith? That sounded awfully… questionable. "Do you really think this guy is stupid enough to make the same mistakes Darth Maul did? This is a terrible place for a showdown. Nobody's even here."

Nelson sniffed. "Well. If I were a Sith lord trying to cause chaos, I'd take out the power station first. Plunge the city into darkness and all."

_Sith acolyte_, Vin corrected in his head. But he held his tongue. They were unlikely to find the guy anyway; best to let Nelson have a little fun.

After they had left the palace, they had returned to the security station in the main hangar to change clothes. Nelson had thought it would be prudent to double-check the entire facility themselves: the hangar (joined to the proximal power station for easy access to starfighter fuel) , the power generator, and the seemingly-bottomless pit of the plasma refinery.

Yes, Vin was paying attention, but he was very bored. Patrolling was something he'd grown quite tired of. He began to fiddle with the goggles on his head- since he'd had to forego the helmet he was used to, he brought along some less-conspicuous goggles that looked as though they might belong to a mechanic or pilot.

The goggles fit snugly on Vin's face when he pulled them down, digging into his long nose slightly. He flipped through the different specs- infrared was always cool in here.

"Nels, what do you think this guy wants, anyway?" he asked as he flicked the goggles' infrared feed on and off.

"Not sure," said Nelson. "But it can't be something nice."

"What did Maul want?" Vin dared ask, readying for a potentially long-winded explanation.

"He came to intercept the Jedi who were here ten years ago," Nelson explained. He passed a key card over a lock pad to allow them to check another restricted area. "A lot of that story is classified information. And the Trade Federation, I'm sure, released loads of other stories so people would get confused."

"Yeah, _I'm_ confused."

"Well, when we catch him, we won't have to find out his plans the hard way."

Vin shrugged. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right."

Vin, still playing with his goggles, turned on the spectrometer and looked around. In the corner of his field of vision, a transparent graph bloomed noninvasively, spiking and flattening with every object he looked at. That could be used to identify something's molecular composition. Vin was no chemist and hadn't had much schooling, but his time among the stars and in the Guard academy had taught him how to use such a device well.

And then something caught his eye. He slowed, tracking his head slowly side to side to try to get the same reading he'd just seen.

He halted once he had the subject fixed in his sight. "Hey, Nels, wait a second."

"Vin?" Nelson stopped and looked over his shoulder at his young ward.

"I think… I think I found something weird."

"What's that?"

"You wanna take a look at this?" Vin pulled the goggles off his face and passed them to Nelson.

"Whatcha got?" Nelson settled them over his own eyes. "What are you doing with the spectrometer on?"

"Look … over there." Vin took Nelson's shoulders and steered him in the direction he'd just been looking. "Doesn't that….?" He trailed off.

"Doesn't what?"

"It looks like baradium."

"Baradium?" Nelson repeated.

"Yeah. Look at the graph. That second spike followed by a dip… that little curve after that. That's a pretty telling signature."

Nelson took the goggles off his head and handed them back to Vin. "Are you sure?"

"Look, I'm no lab rat, okay?" said Vin, snatching the goggles back and putting them on again. "But before I came to Naboo, when I was on the lam, I had to learn all about baradium, and how to get it past detectors. I'm certain it's baradium."

"Baradium, like… The stuff they use in thermal detonators?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go check it out," said Nelson, charging his blaster and making his way in the direction Vin indicated.


	12. Bene's Work

_=Theed Shield Generator Complex =_

With a winding series of clicks and a soft beep, the next detonator in Ricco Bene's arsenal announced itself ready. It wasn't a thermal detonator like the last two he'd placed. This one was an ion detonator, designed not for structural but electronic damage. The Sith acolyte regarded it with a satisfied look. Not too bad, considering that he'd had only a matter of hours to plan and execute what he hoped would be an effective diversion.

The fist-sized ion bomb was mounted inconspicuously under a console in the Theed Shield Generator Complex. The detonator was fixed in a carefully decided position. Once Bene triggered the irreversible destruction sequence, the system would be so badly damaged that the Royal Guard would be unable to turn the city's shields on or off.

Bene snorted. If by the time he was ready to make his exit and the shields were stuck off, then he'd be clear to leave the city with no problem. And if they turned the shields on, well, good for them. Because they wouldn't be leaving to follow him easily- anything electronic trying to pass through there would simply short out. (Either way, Bene had made sure a segment of the shield would be disabled anyway, in case he needed a back door exit.)

It was a win-win for Bene. His master Tyranus would surely be pleased at his careful planning. Before he had left Serenno, his master's homeworld, he'd spent hours looking over schematics of important buildings in Theed. This bomb was only one of four in his master plan.

Bene watched a small light blink on the detonator as he crawled out from underneath the panel. Surely no one would spot it there until it was too late.

He swept his cloak around him as he walked confidently back down the main avenue in the complex. At night, it was sparsely patrolled. A smile crept across Bene's cheeks. The patrols and staff he _had_ come across… well, he'd be content to just say that they'd had a friendly evening chat with the business end of a lightsaber.

Yes, Bene was well prepared. Earlier today, he'd knocked out the Royal Guard's scanner database, making it nearly impossible to clear any ships or pilots for departure from the spaceport. A few minutes ago he'd sabotaged the shield generator with a stolen override code that would disable it for one sector only, and then just now planted the detonator for good measure. And, as a precaution, he had disabled most of the security cam feeds in the city, running an idle loop in place of real-time footage to fool anyone who might think to check.

His heavy boots clumped against the floor, but Ricco Bene walked lightly with a spring in his step. He hadn't expected this all to be so easy.

When he reached the set of now-unguarded doors to the facility, Bene stepped into the night and found that there was no one running to meet him. The city of Theed was quite nearly deserted, and he'd managed to slip past the Naboo Royal Guard's noses yet again without incident. It was almost too easy for Bene's tastes.

But it was rather chilly. Bene pulled his cloak closer around his face and strode across a scenic plaza. One more detonator to place, and then he would be ready for the next phase in his plan.


	13. Vin and Nelson

_=Theed Plasma Refinery Complex=_

"Say, Madge," said Nelson, crouched on all fours in front of what was definitely a thermal detonator, "you've really outdone yourself this time."

Vin crossed his arms, standing behind Nelson and pointedly not joining him beneath the desk he was under. "They don't call me Magic for nothing," he muttered. Now they'd be stuck here waiting for EOD to dispose of the bomb he'd just found instead of tracking down the Sith acolyte.

"Ouch!" Nelson hit his head against the desk, cursing as he stood back up. "You already called EOD?"

"Yep." Vin wiggled the comlink he'd just used in the air. "They're coming. Do we have to stick around for this? We have work to do."

"I suppose so, what with you saving the city again, and all."

"You know, I'm assuming that our Sith acolyte planted this, and he isn't going to stick around and wait for EOD to disconnect his little surprise. Don't you think we should go?"

Nelson sighed, and fiddled with his comlink for a moment before raising it to his lips. He wore an earpiece, so Vin couldn't hear responses Nelson got as he announced to the other end that they were resuming their mission. Vin didn't really care, though. He was sure they were on the right track. He clenched his fists as they headed back out to the streets. Hardly anyone was out tonight, which would increase the odds of running into the guy they were looking for…


	14. Bomb in the Archives

_=Streets of Theed=_

Arin hurried to keep up with Kel-Ani and Moraye as they made their way to the center of the city. The three were on their way to the archives.

"How are we going to find him if we don't know his name?" asked Arin.

"I don't know. We'll figure it out when we get there," Moraye said with a wave of her hand. Her strides were long and purposeful. Tall Kel-Ani's loping steps dwarfed Arin's. She was half-human and half-Morellian, a long-lived human subspecies that aged slower than most other sentients, so she looked like she was somewhere closer to eight years old instead of twelve, much to her dismay.

"Do you think the others will find anything?" Kel-Ani asked, referring to their three other clan mates and Kloré, who were going to look for clues in the palace.

"Dunno. The Guard should've swept most of that area by now. But don't worry about that. Our first priority is finding the archives," said Moraye. "We should probably find the university."

"Yeah," said Kel-Ani. "I remember we passed it on the way to the Palace. Find the palace, find the archives."

"We can just ask someone," Arin suggested, glancing around. At night, the streets were eerily quiet.

"We should keep away from guards, though," Moraye cautioned. "I'm sure they're all aware we're supposed to be in Otoh Gunga. The city's transportation hubs are on lockdown. I can't _believe_ Tayla got us in through the canals. That seems like a_ gaping_ hole in security if you ask me," she continued somewhat pompously, raising her eyebrows judgmentally.

"Well," said Kel-Ani airily, "I've heard it's very hard to navigate through the planet's tunnels without an experienced guide. They probably thought it was impossible to get in that way."

"That's true," Moraye admitted.

"There's someone," said Arin, pointing. They asked an older-looking gentleman for the way to the university.

"You're actually quite close," he said. His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled at them warmly. "Another young gentleman just asked me the same thing. What are you children doing out so late?" he asked. "I've heard that the Guard is tightening security."

"Astronomy class trip, sir," lied Arin politely as she and Moraye exchanged glances. "We need to get to the archives."

"Ah, I see. Follow this road for a few more blocks, go over the bridge, and walk across that big courtyard. You're right there."

"Thank you!" they said in unison and made their way over.

The archives towered over them, with wide stone steps and soaring columns, just like the ones they'd seen in the palace. Kel-Ani led, pushing through the heavy front doors, which were thankfully unlocked. Arin wondered briefly if a caveat of Naboo's alleged pacifism was that people just leave things unlocked all the time. It was just the archives, which wouldn't be a high-traffic area on any night but… It wasn't very street-smart, in her opinion.

They entered a gigantic atrium with a central help desk staffed by two droids on standby. The three younglings slunk past, headed for the databases.

"I think we're getting closer…" said Arin, squinting through the Force to examine the energies she felt.

"Closer to information about that Sith?" Kel-Ani asked.

"We don't know that he's actually a Sith," reminded Moraye. "Just someone who works for them."

"Aren't there only two Sith at a time?" Kel-Ani asked.

"I think so," said Moraye.

"Where do we even start?" Kel-Ani asked exasperatedly. "We don't even know his species. Human, near-human, who knows?"

"But we do know he had a red lightsaber, so he definitely is connected to the Sith somehow. And he and Master Plo knew each other, right, Arin? We might be able to find an existing entry in a database…"

Arin stopped in her tracks and looked down rows of data cards into a dark alcove to their left. In the corner behind a row of study carrels, there…

"Guys?" she said. "I really don't think we're gonna have to look very hard."

Before them was their wayward Sith acolyte, and he was laying a bomb.

Arin froze, rooted to the spot as the dark Jedi laid his shocking yellow eyes upon her.

He smirked. "Hello. You again," he said.

Arin drew her lightsaber, igniting it with a resonant _whoom_. Moraye and Kel-Ani stared, motionless.

The Sith acolyte stood, and his long cloak rippled around him. He adjusted his hood and stepped forward, displaying his palms in a mocking shrug. "Now, is that any way to greet someone? No matter. Congratulations, you've found me. But I'm sorry, but you're a bit late. I've put four of these around the city. I hope you can find them all before they go off," he taunted.

"Who are you," Arin demanded.

The acolyte tutted. "Ah, now telling you would be no fun, would it?"

"Who is your master?"

"My bidding is my own."

"Liar." Arin spat the word out as threateningly as she could, hoping the Jedi couldn't see her lips trembling.

He laughed. "Ah-ha, you're a brave little one, aren't you? Your friends here must be the brains of the group. How about a nice intellectual game? A puzzle, if you will, or perhaps… a _race_. Let's see if they can figure it out, hm?"

He waved his hand in the direction of the bomb, and Arin heard it click to life.

"You have three minutes. Until next time!" said the acolyte, and with a maniacal laugh, took off down the hall.

Without hesitation Arin tore after him, sheathing her lightsaber as she ran. "Call the guards!" she screamed to the shocked help-desk droids as she crashed through the door. The Sith acolyte was much faster than she was, but she ran as fast as her short legs would carry her to keep up across the strangely deserted courtyard to the bridge.

Arin shouted into her comlink hooked to her forearm. "We've found the Sith acolyte! Repeat, we've found the Sith acolyte! Theed University archives to Corleo Bridge. He's laid a bomb in the archives~"

Kloré's reply came immediately. "Alerting the guards. Backup is coming. Do _not_ engage the Sith! Arin, do you hear me? _Do not_-"

Arin switched off the comlink and used the Force to propel her forward. Her heart fluttered madly. She'd lost him. No, no, no…

She thundered up the bridge's steps looking around wildly, and then she saw the dark Jedi landing in a waiting water speeder below. Did he have help from inside the city? She didn't remember that boat being there before.

He cackled. "So long!" he called with an exaggerated salute. He then pushed his palm in the air, splaying all five fingers. Huh? Then a blast hit Arin squarely in the torso, launching her backwards and back down the stairs. She tumbled to a halt flat on her back, gasping for air.

"Arin!" She heard Zade's voice as he sprinted over, falling to his knees next to her. "Are you okay?"

"Just… wind knocked… outta me…" she wheezed as she sat up gingerly.

"I was looking around just outside the palace. The others are on their way. Where's the bomb? Can you stand?"

"He…ye… yeah…" Zade pulled Arin up by her upper arm.

He pressed his hands to the base of her rib cage. "Here," he said, and she could breathe again.

"How'd you do that?" She asked as they took off at a run across the courtyard.

"You had a diaphragm spasm. It needed to be steadied. That's not important. Where's Kel-Ani and Moraye?"

"They're… I think they're still in there," said Arin as they pushed through the door. She was certain they only had seconds left to defuse the-

Ka-BLAM.

The building rocked in a thunderous blast and Zade and Arin were knocked off their feet by a shock wave that rippled across the floor. She screamed for her friends, scrambling to her feet and rushing past rows of miraculously-standing duracrete archive shelves.

"Arin!"

"Moraye!?" Arin called.

"Moraye!" echoed Zade.

"Over here!"

Water was seeping across the floor from cracks in the wall. There must've been a canal just beyond. Arin stumbled over scraps of plasteel from the study carrels, which had been blown apart by the explosion.

"There!" said Zade, pointing. They rushed over to where Moraye's arm waved from beneath a pile of rubble.

"Moraye!" cried Arin, bending to rip away sheets of plasteel and duracrete.

With a final pull Arin and Zade tore away enough space for Moraye to crawl out.

"Where's Kel-Ani?!" asked Arin as she felt panic rise in her chest.

"Here," said Moraye, kicking a block of duracrete away and crawling out. Arin realized that they'd ducked behind an empty duracrete-enforced information desk to use as a shield. Duracrete didn't seem so durable to Arin right now…

"I'm okay," said Kel-Ani softly, clambering out behind Moraye. When he stood, he swayed.

Zade gripped his elbow. "Take it easy."

"There's water everywhere," said Moraye, as it seeped into their shoes.

"Are we going to get electrocuted?" asked Zade.

"I don't know. But we shouldn't go near any electronics, just in case," Moraye advised. Then she put her hand to her forehead and winced. "Ow."

"Did you hit your head?" Arin asked.

"I hit everything," said Moraye.

"Kel-Ani? Can you walk?" Zade asked Kel-Ani gently.

He took a moment to answer. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"I think you have a concussion," said Zade.

"A- a conk-what?"

"Let's get you out of here," said Zade, draping Kel-Ani's arm around his shoulder. "Arin, have you got Moraye? We should leave," he added, swishing a foot in the water that was now shin-deep.

Arin offered Moraye her arm, which she took readily. They waded out up a small set of stairs to the main hallway. The two help-desk droids were gone. Arin briefly wondered where, but she was intercepted at the main door by Naia, who swept her and Moraye up in a big hug.

"Sithspit, you guys had me so worried! Are you okay?" she cried. Her messy strawberry-blonde curls bounced madly.

"I'm okay," said Moraye. "Just bruised. It's Kel-Ani who needs some attention, I think."

"Younglings!"

Arin looked over to see it was Kloré who had spoken, slowing from a run to a brisk walk. Three guards were with her. She gestured to one of them.

"This is Captain Panaka, head of the Royal Naboo Security Forces. Tell him everything that happened."

"Um, well…" began Arin.

"Quickly, please," Panaka said sharply.

"It was Arin who spotted him. He was laying a bomb in the archives," said Moraye tiredly. "He said we had three minutes before it went off. Arin went after him and we tried to defuse it, but… we couldn't, and we had to take cover."

"And there are three more in the city," added Arin. "He left going that way down the canal." She pointed in that direction.

"I've had enough of this," said Panaka. "We've already found one of them, and we just activated our shield generators. The city's on full lockdown. Nobody gets in… or out." As he spoke the words a translucent purple dome arched across the sky.

"Shields operational, Captain," announced one of the guards.

"Which of you saw him last?" Panaka asked seriously.

"Me," said Arin.

"How did he leave?"

"He had a water speeder waiting for him," she answered. She looked around. Where was Halyon?

"Was this the first time you saw the speeder?"

"I'm not sure. I think so." Arin cursed herself for not being more observant.

"May have an accomplice in the city," Panaka remarked to another guard. He turned back to Arin. "Can you give me a description?"

"Human, I think. He… wore a hood. It was all black. Head to toe. He has…" she squeezed her eyes shut as fear sank into her stomach. "Yellow eyes. He has yellow eyes."

"Can you guess his height?"

"I… I don't know."

"About your height, Captain?" offered Zade.

"Note it, Sykes," said Panaka to the same guard.

"Yes, sir."

"No one's leaving this city. We won't rest until we've found him," Panaka declared.

"What about the Jedi?" Naia asked timidly.

Kloré frowned. "I've tried to reach them. They don't respond."

"They're still here?" Zade asked.

"They've been unable to leave," bristled Captain Panaka, "because this Sith acolyte knocked out our entire scanner database."

"Does that mean-"

"What's important right now is that we find him. We'll explain the details to you later. Did the Jedi give you further instructions? Other than the ones to _stay in Otoh Gunga_…"

Kloré flushed, and Arin jumped in. "Master Plo said that some Jedi from Bespin were coming. They should be here in the morning."  
>"Yeah, I remember him saying that," added Zade. "How are they supposed to get in?"<p>

"They'll request permission to land," said the guard named Sykes. "We'll handle the situation and notify you upon their arrival."

"Oh, there might be a problem…" said Kloré sheepishly. "The Jedi from Bespin were probably told to meet us in Otoh Gunga."

"We'll be in contact with Boss Lyonie and alert him of this. Now, it's imperative that you all return to the safety of the palace."

"What about the other bombs?" Arin asked.

"Your friend seems to need medical attention," said the third guard, who was an gentle-looking woman. Arin glanced to Kel-Ani. He looked dazed and pale. "Leave the bombs to the Royal Guard. We appreciate your willingness to help, younglings, but it's not something you're trained yet to handle."

"We'll explain what's going on inside," Kloré said. "Let's get to where it's safe."

Arin huffed. Always grown-ups were telling her she wasn't ready or strong or capable enough. There was always some excuse to get them to go back and hide and do nothing while there was a dangerous Sith acolyte on the loose. Still, she kept her mouth shut and allowed herself to be escorted back inside the palace.

"Where's Halyon?" Arin asked Naia quietly.

"On the bridge," she said, pointing. "Look."

Arin turned to see, and sure enough, there was Halyon. His eyes were shut and his hands rested on the railing. "Halyon!" she called. "Come on!"

He didn't reply. Arin squeezed Moraye's arm, then unhooked her elbow and slipped away.

"Hey!" Arin called, jogging over to him.

Halyon looked over, but didn't reply. He stared back to the canal.

"We have to go back now," Arin insisted.

Halyon tore his gaze away. "Yeah, all right."

"Did you find any clues at the palace?"

"We found nothing."

"Oh. Did you see something? Just now?"

"I was just looking."

"Well, come on, let's go."


	15. Queen Jamillia

_=Queen Jamillia's Office, Theed Royal Palace=_

Halyon followed Arin back to the group. When they got back inside the palace, they were led directly to the Queen's office. Kel-Ani and Moraye were taken to a medical ward, and the remaining four younglings followed Kloré and their guard escorts.

Sairdé was waiting for them in front of a set of ornate double doors. One eyebrow raised at them severely. "There's something Jedi have against following orders, isn't there?" she asked darkly, shaking her head. "I suppose the important thing is that you've found another bomb and you're all okay. You're _very_ lucky," she said, shaking a finger at them. "Very foolish and rash as well. But never mind that. The queen is waiting for you all. Let's not keep her waiting, shall we?"

The guards opened the doors and Sairdé gestured for the younglings to file into the office. "A word, if you don't mind," she whispered to Kloré, and the two handmaidens remained outside.

Arin followed her clan mates into the office. It was a huge solarium, with a large curved desk flanked by several cushioned chairs and a wide, arching window behind.

Queen Jamillia sat in a tall chair behind the desk. Her thick black hair was woven into an elaborate headdress, just like the type all Naboo queens wore. Pale makeup dusted her face; it was much lighter than her natural dark skin. Two red dots on her cheeks complemented the red of her full lips. She smiled politely as they entered.

"Good evening, Jedi younglings. Or perhaps, good morning. It is a pleasure for the Naboo to host your field trip. I apologize that things haven't quite followed your itinerary," she said lightly in an attempt to dispense the tension in the room. Her accent was clipped but deep and warm.

She looked around; her large dark eyes smiled down on all of them, and they all blinked back at her, unsure if or how to answer.

The queen continued. "I'm sure you all remember that upon us is the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Naboo, and the alliance and settlement of peace between the Naboo and the Gungans. Surely you've discussed this event in your studies?" she asked.

"Yes, Majesty," Naia said, babbling, "will there still be a Peace Day parade?"

Queen Jamillia smiled. "Yes," she said. "We won't be intimidated by this… Sith acolyte." The parade was scheduled for tomorrow evening. Right. Arin had almost forgotten about that in the wake of everything else that had happened.

"I think it's time that someone explained to you all what is going on," she said, suddenly turning more serious. "Are you ready for that?"

The four younglings nodded intently.

"There has been unrest in the galaxy for quite some time now. Several nations have seceded from the Republic, along with a few business conglomerates. You have all seen the terrorist attacks on Coruscant. There was one recently against Senator Amidala, who is a former Queen of Naboo."

Arin nodded slowly. That had been an important factor Master Yoda said he'd considered before allowing their field trip. She expected Zade to whisper, "how can you succeed from something?" but she heard only silence.

"Senator Amidala and two Jedi have uncovered a droid factory on the planet Geonosis. The Confederacy of Independent States, as the Separatists refer to themselves, has been making preparations for war."

"For war?" Zade asked, finally breaking his uncharacteristic silence in the face of new information.

"Yes, young one. What is your name?"

"Zade Kype, miss." Naia elbowed him. "Majesty," he corrected himself quickly.

The queen smiled and continued. "Yes, and it has been revealed that the Trade Federation was behind the attempt on Senator Amidala's life. It is an act of war, and one of your Jedi Council masters has brought an assault team to Geonosis to rescue the Jedi and the senator."

"Master Windu," interjected Arin, as Sairdé and Kloré reentered the room quietly.

"That was his name, yes," said Jamillia. "And now you know as much as I do, younglings. I'd like to ask you all a favor."

Arin looked to Halyon. He was silent, staring beyond the queen out the window. Arin wondered what he was thinking about.

The handmaidens took their places standing silently behind the queen. Jamillia gestured to Sairdé. "Sairdé will serve as my decoy for the festivities." Arin noted the resemblance between the two. When they stood next to each other, she could see it was uncanny.

"What will _you_ do, Highness?" asked Naia.

"Senator Amidala was known during her reign for posing as one of her own handmaidens. As I fear this will be too familiar a tactic, I will be posing as a palace guard. I'll have plenty of protection. It's Sairdé that I'm more concerned about, so I'd like to ask you all to serve as her bodyguards." She looked at them all gravely. "It's a heavy burden I'm asking of you, but I beg that you consider."

The younglings looked at each other, except Halyon, who stared pointedly out the window, still. Arin dug her heel into his toes. He winced and returned his attention to the queen.

"We're inspired by your handmaidens' loyalty," said Naia diplomatically.

Zade added, "and we'd be honored to serve them in return."

Jamillia smiled sincerely. "Then it is settled. You are all very mature for your age. No doubt your Jedi mentors have trained you well."

The younglings bowed and were escorted with Sairdé and Kloré from the room.

"I have a matter to discuss briefly with security," said Sairdé to Kloré quietly, but Arin overheard.

"We'll meet you in the courtyard," said Kloré, and she led them outside into the cool night air.

It was time for yet more waiting.


	16. Vin's Deal

_=Streets of Theed=_

"What'd they say?" Vin asked as Nelson switched off his comlink. Over the noise of their speeder, he hadn't overheard much.

"They found a couple of bodies," Nelson said darkly.

"What?"

"Lightsaber wounds to the chest. Looks like our Sith friend took out a few guards at the power station. We missed 'em."

"Anyone we know?"

"They didn't say."

They sat in silence for a moment as they patrolled through the city. From the street, Vin could see partiers getting some air out on their balconies. A few were calling their friends out to look up at the sky at the glowing purple shield that arched over the city like a big dome. The shields were certainly a sight to see; they'd been installed ten years ago after the last Sith incident. How fitting that this was the first time they were actually used, Vin thought wryly.

He turned his eyes back to the road. It may have been the night before the festival, but aside from a few partiers, most people were inside their own homes, and the streets were, for the most part, empty.

"This is really serious, huh?" Vin asked.

Nelson nodded. His excitement seemed to have been extinguished now. Maybe he _was_ told who'd been killed, and he was just keeping it from Vin for the moment. "Do your best to find this guy, kid."

"Any news from Panaka?"

"Yeah," said Nelson. "The blinkin' generator is stuck on."

"What do you mean?"

"Sabotaged, by the looks of it. We can't turn it off until we get a repair team in here."

"Great," said Vin.

"Yeah. Well, our Sith acolyte got himself stuck in here, too, at least."

"Then I guess we're bound to find him soon."

"Unless he tries to leave on foot. Then he'll be fine, of course."

"Well, if he keeps making mistakes, we'll catch him."

"Let's hope so," said Nelson as he guided the speeder up a road that brought them closer to the university.

"Who else have they got out looking for him?" asked Vin.

"They've gotta have a couple'a squads out by now. Haven't heard much."

"Nobody's directed us to a specific place to search?"

"Nope."

Vin huffed. No wonder they hadn't found this guy yet. Everything was so disorganized. "They're so worried about not alarming the public and the media, they're gonna let this guy slip right through our fingers."

"Hey, take it up with Hogan," said Nelson. "I ain't touchin' that one."

Well, big search squads would certainly attract attention. Maybe Vin could yet catch the Sith acolyte off his guard, and perhaps more efficiently if he and Nelson worked alone. Now… if he was an outlaw, where would he hide…?

"Nels, I've got an idea."

"What's that?"

"Let's take a look at the civilian spaceport."

"Yeah? You think our guy's gonna be hanging out there?"

"Maybe," said Vin.

"How come?" Nelson asked as he turned down a road in the direction of the civilian spaceport.

"We're looking for someone who's out of place here. Someone who doesn't look like a local. But he knows we're looking for someone weird. Everyone's out of place at a spaceport. If I were a fugitive, I'd hide there among other outsiders, in plain sight."

Nelson chuckled, finally seeming to lighten. "You and your criminal little mind, kid. You know everything's shut down, so it's probably going to be pretty quiet, but we can check it out."

Vin thought it was more likely to be on the contrary, but when they approached the spaceport and parked in an open front speeder lot, he saw that Nelson was right. Most of the main lights had been shut down. Vin wondered how clogged up the orbital station was right now, since it looked like no recent flights had been allowed in.

Nearby hotels appeared to be walls of light from all the lit rooms. Spacers must've had a tough time adjusting to Naboo's day-night rhythm. Vin had a gut feeling he was in the right place. Here he was, once again among off-worlders like himself. People could disappear in a place like this. But not to Vin.

He and Nelson stepped out of the speeder. Now, where to look first?

"I'll check inside and talk to security," said Nelson. "You do a sweep outside, and meet me in the main lobby. Send me a com if you find anything, all right?"

"Sure thing," said Vin. Sometimes, he felt uneasy splitting up, but he knew that the two of them walking together might draw attention.

Nelson split off to walk up to the main doors of the spaceport. It was a gigantic facility, set with dozens of hangars surrounding the main terminal. Vin, of course, couldn't check the entire grounds without the help of the spaceport's individual security force, but he knew Nelson had told him to take a look around because if there was any trouble or anything out of place, Vin would spot it.

He decided to look in areas where there might be a lot of people. The speeder parking lot was probably a good place to survey, but it looked rather empty. There was a Rodian couple making out on a nearby bench. Vin wrinkled his nose. _Get a room, you two_, he thought, though maybe there weren't many to spare with all the cancelled departures. Maybe if there was a hoverbus station… Vin snapped his fingers. Right, it was a bit beyond the lot near the secondary entrance. He made his way over, but not before the swish of a black cloak around a corner caught his eye.

Vin, intrigued, paused close by to adjust his sock within his boot, stealing a glance out of the corner of his eye. He saw a hooded figure striding down a deserted pathway in the direction of the rental speeder return. After waiting a few moments and standing slowly, Vin followed.

A streetlight flickered and went out nearby, leaving the remaining lights to cast long shadows across Vin's path. He found himself between two hangars, and their tall walls blocked out any moonlight.

There was a sudden fluttering of fabric and a light clump, and Vin turned. Behind him was his quarry, who straightened and removed his hood. He had a strong chin and an angular face, and his expression was unsettling enough, but the most unusual thing was his eyes, which were a vivid yellow. Vin knew who he'd found instantly, and raised his blaster.

"You're quite subtle." The voice that spoke was a relaxed one: low, fluid, confident, and mockingly cordial. "I wouldn't have noticed you following me if the Force didn't tell me."

"You're him." Vin narrowed his eyes. Could he reach his comlink to call Nelson without dropping his aim? "You're that Sith everyone's looking for, aren't you?"

The stranger crossed his arms smugly. "I'm sure I've garnered quite a bounty by now."

"Wouldn't know," Vin retorted. "You're a Sith. I think they just want you gone."

"Hm…" the Sith pursed his lips in mock sympathy, putting his hands on his hips. "There's nothing in it for you to catch me and turn me in?"

"Might be something for your _head_." Vin shrugged his shoulder.

"What if I present to you a more profitable option?"

Vin said nothing, keeping his blaster levelly pointed at his target.

Smoothly, the Sith pressed him: "I know you need the money for your… sister, Vin Rajik."

Vin's breath caught sharply, but his expression betrayed no surprise. How could he have known? Right… well, this was definitely the Sith they were looking for. "I'm listening," he said cautiously.

"From what I understand your time on Naboo is about to run out."

"I'm sorry?"

"It is the will of the Force. In a few hours' time you will be out of a job."

That was unlikely. Vin's eyebrows knotted, but he didn't say anything.

"Consider this: my… employer has an opening on Coruscant. Would you be willing to relocate?"

"…Possibly. What's the job?"

"One could consider it to be investigative journalism."

"Investigating what?"

"An organization that I think would be of certain interest to you."

"Yeah?"

"The Jedi Order."

"And why would I care about them?"

"It's obvious to me that you possess a degree of Force-sensitivity. And yet, the Jedi seem to have overlooked you. Aren't you curious about why that is?"

"Not really. Maybe I can sense stuff, but I can't control it. Not exactly Jedi material."

"And you don't wonder why they didn't consider you worth teaching?"

Vin didn't reply. It was something that Nelson said all the time, that Jedi ought to be by for him any day, even though Vin was well past the age youngsters were usually taken away to their secluded temple. Jedi training was a mystery to outsiders, and few were allowed in the temple aside from invited dignitaries and those who were employed there.

Almost as if he were reading Vin's thoughts, the Sith acolyte added, "This could be quite an opportunity for you. Get into their temple, and they might notice you. It could be a better life for you. It's a win-win situation. For a time you will provide me with information I need, while you earn your credits and exposure to several new opportunities."

Vin ran his tongue along his teeth as he thought for a moment. "You're a Sith. Why would you send me into the arms of the Jedi?" They were sworn mortal enemies, weren't they?

"Do you really care as long as you get paid?"

Vin considered. No, a paycheck was more important to him than a complete answer. And to be honest, he really didn't care about becoming a Jedi, either. What mattered to him was his older sister Vaneera and her infant daughter, who'd remain stranded on Garel without his help. "Okay, then, how much are we talking, here?"

"A matter we can discuss later. For now I could provide a down payment significant enough to cover your travel and lodging expenses."

Vin frowned. This certainly sounded shady. But his gut told him that the offer was genuine, and that the Sith had so far told no lies. "Could I get that in writing?"

The Sith acolyte returned his unease with a thin-lipped smile. "Unfortunately, my employer prefers me to keep transactions out of any record. This is an offer of utmost importance and discretion. I can arrange for the transfer of 4,000 credits" – Vin's eyebrow cocked imperceptibly- "to your account by tomorrow morning, and I'll throw in an extra thousand for your silence on the matter. You will leave for Coruscant in three days. Do we have a deal?"

Slowly, Vin lowered his blaster. "All right. I'll take the job."

"You've made a smart decision," said the Sith acolyte. "Now, you understand, that for your new employment to begin… I'll need passage off this planet without incident."

Vin frowned. "You mean you want me to let you off scot-free and lie to the Guard about seeing you."

"I wouldn't look at it like that," the acolyte said evenly. "Consider it a test run for your new job, which will require you to be a bit… shall we say, illusory, to get the information you'll be reporting on."

"If I let you go, how do I know you aren't going to hurt anyone?"

"I assure you, the only thing I'm interested in is leaving this system."

"You've already killed eight guards," Vin said accusingly, and fought the urge to point his blaster back at his foe… or, ally, perhaps. His breath came shallowly. What was he getting himself into now? All for enough credits to get his sister- no, he couldn't think about her; she had already become a bargaining chip against him for this Sith to use.

"An unfortunate loss, to be sure," admitted the Sith acolyte. "They stood in my way. I can see that you're smart enough to consider differently," he added darkly.

Was that a threat? Vin changed the topic. "You got a name?"

"Of course I do." The Sith acolyte crossed his arms arrogantly.

Vin sighed in exasperation. "Well, are you gonna tell me? How are you gonna find me on Coruscant and how am I gonna know it's you?"

"Please unload your blaster and put it in its holster."

Scathingly, Vin complied.

"Thank you. Now, you'll have all the answers you need once you arrive on Coruscant. You'll receive a message from one of my contacts there. My contact will find you when you arrive. You will have nothing to worry about."

"Sure," said Vin dryly.

"So, we are in agreement, then?" He held out his hand.

Vin eyed him uneasily. He knew he shouldn't trust a Sith, but… he stepped forward, reaching out his right hand with as much confidence he could muster. He gripped the Sith's hand. It was strangely warm, and human, and he realized he'd been expecting it to feel cold and clammy or something. Perhaps a Sith wasn't so much of a scary supernatural being, merely a person after all…

He relaxed his grip to withdraw from the handshake, but the Sith held tightly, dropping his voice low. "I expect to hear of your arrival on Coruscant in three days. If not, you can rest assured that you'll no longer have any need to take care of your sister."

Vin gulped. He fought the impulse to scream at him to leave his sister out of this, but he was afraid of attracting attention. And betraying Nelson and the guard… suddenly he began to regret his decision, but before he could open his mouth to speak, the Sith sprang backward, over the rooftop of the hangar behind them, and was gone.

Vin took a deep breath. What had he done? He'd let the Sith get away with no concrete bribe or reward in his hands. He'd betrayed the Naboo Royal Guard! And, worse, he hadn't even gotten anything to show for it! What if he'd just been tricked and he'd doomed the whole city?

He grunted in frustration, running his hands anxiously through his smooth black curls of hair. He reached for his comlink and held it up to his lips, ready to report a sighting of their target. _You stupid kid,_ he told himself. Vaneera wouldn't have wanted this, but…

She'd made so many sacrifices for him when they were young. She'd had to take on less than savory jobs to make money for him after their parents had died. Maybe it wasn't a glamorous deal, but… it was something. He had to make enough money to get her and her kid away from that creep…

Vin lowered his comlink and swore. Besides, if they caught the guy now, who was to say that he wouldn't've said Vin had let him go in the first place? No, it was better to hope that he just got away so Vin could be off the hook, too. Then, he would just say he was bored Naboo and he'd go to Coruscant before anyone could ask any questions.

And really, the Sith didn't seem so bad. Maybe he killed a few guys, but he seemed intelligent and logical enough. Maybe there were forces at play here that Vin didn't understand. Like… the Force itself. Would the Jedi be able to sense his contract with the Sith? And how would he even get in there, anyway? What a mess it was that he'd gotten into this time…

He shook his head, swore again, and headed up to the main lobby to meet Nelson.

The main entry doors slid open with a whoosh when he approached them, and a small ways back, leaning against a kiosk idly, was Nelson.

"Did you find anythin'?" Nelson asked breathlessly when he saw Vin.

Vin set his face in steely neutrality. He took a deep breath. "Nothing, Nels," he said on the exhale.

Nelson sniffed. "Me neither. Security said they found nothing out of the ordinary."

Vin jammed his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "Maybe we should get back to the speeder, then." He strode quickly ahead of Nelson back to the front of the spaceport.

He opened the doors and there it was. But it wasn't empty- in the driver's seat sat the very Sith acolyte with whom he'd just been conversing.

"That's him!" Nelson cried, tearing across the lot to the speeder. He drew his blaster as he ran. "Hold it right there!"

"Blast!" _That son of a bitch_- Vin charged forward, likewise drawing his blaster, praying the Sith wouldn't give their agreement away, wouldn't betray him…

With a cheeky salute directed right at Vin, the Sith acolyte rose into the sky and tore off into the night. Vin stopped running, staring after him open mouthed.

"Hey!" Nelson screamed, running right past Vin. "Come back here, you-!"

But the Sith was long gone, hopefully taking with him any evidence of Vin's betrayal.

_ What a jerk,_ thought Vin, as Nelson slowed to a halt. Nelson had been set up, and Vin had played right into it. To carelessly allow his speeder to get stolen was negligent, and Nelson might certainly get martialed for that.

Nelson stood staring at the point in the sky that was his speeder with the heels of his hands pressed hard against his temples. "A Sith just stole my speeder," he said. "A Sith… just stole my speeder."

"Call it in, quick," said Vin weakly, hoping Nelson would remain frozen long enough to let him get away.

"Right, right," said Nelson absently, fumbling for his comlink. "Sergeant Nelson to dispatch. Uh, we've found the Sith acolyte, repeat, found the Sith acolyte…"


	17. Speeder Chase

_=Courtyard, Theed Royal Palace=_

Kloré and the four younglings settled into an outdoor cloister filled with ornamental trees and hedges to wait. It was softly lit with golden glow rods. Arin kicked a rock across the cobblestones and it skittered into a flowerbed.

"So…" said Zade, turning to Kloré. "You're going to be the decoy of the decoy, huh?"

"I'm sorry?" Kloré asked.

"Well, since Sairdé is being the decoy, that means a bad guy might think she's a handmaiden and the queen is actually pretending to be one of them. So someone might actually think _you're_ the fake handmaiden… the queen."

Kloré took a moment to unravel what Zade was saying, and her eyebrows shrugged as she considered that. "Someone might. It's a risk all the handmaidens are prepared to take."

"I like her," said Naia suddenly.

"The queen?" Kloré asked.

"Yeah. She didn't act like a big know-it-all grown-up and treat us like babies."

Kloré smiled. "On Naboo, we don't regard age as an indicator of maturity. Senator Amidala took the throne when she was only two years older than you."

"Really?" Arin asked.

"That's right." Kloré nodded.

Naia grinned at Arin. "Let's move to Naboo. We can be queens, too. Could you imagine?!" Her smile spread from ear to ear. Arin couldn't help but smile, too. Naia was always so optimistic, and Arin usually couldn't understand how she could remain that way even when everything looked so dark.

Zade asked, "Are Moraye and Kel-Ani doing okay?"

"They'll be fine," Kloré assured them. "Our medical staff is taking good care of them."

"Where's the bathrooms?" asked Naia.

"Oh, this way," said Kloré, and led Naia back inside. Arin and Zade began kicking rocks back and forth.

"There!" cried Halyon. Arin jumped. "That's the Sith!"

"Huh?" Arin looked around wildly, then realized what Halyon was talking about. A small airspeeder zoomed over the courtyard, and with it came the strange sensation Arin knew was the dark side of the Force. It was the Sith acolyte, all right.

"Stop! Halyon, wait!" Arin's voice and Halyon's footsteps echoed as he ran down a colonnade around to the palace plaza. Zade and Arin both ran after him. Her pulse quickened, suddenly gripped by fear.

"Halyon, here!" yelled Zade. Arin looked over to see Zade standing in front of a parked Palace Guard airspeeder.

"What are you doing?" Arin cried, as Halyon whirled around and Zade leaped into the driver's seat. Halyon flew in next to him, and Zade shut his eyes, screwing up his face trying to start the speeder using the Force. It bucked and whined, but it started.

"You're crazy!" said Arin.

"Come on!"

Spurred by an insane curiosity, Arin clambered into the back seat. _What am I doing?_ She thought woefully as the speeder shot up into the air.

"How are we gonna stop him?! We don't have any blasters!" she cried over the wind rushing around them.

"First we have to catch up!" called Zade over his shoulder. Buildings fell beneath them as they rose, and Zade punched the speeder forward, in hot pursuit of the Sith acolyte.

"Do you even know how to drive this thing?" Halyon asked.

"I'm a fast learner!" Arin was not comforted by his response. If they fell, maybe they could use the Force to slow their momentum. Maybe.

"What if we hit the shield? What happens?" Arin yelled.

"I guess we won't hit the shield!" replied Halyon with a wild laugh.

"We're catching up!" said Zade excitedly. They were getting closer. Above the roar of the wind Arin could hear the high-pitched whine of the Sith acolyte's speeder.

"Reach for him!" Halyon stretched out his arms, evidently trying to grab and slow their target with the Force. Arin followed suit.

"I can't grab him!" Arin yelled. "He's moving too fast!"

"Keep trying!"

Both airpseeders raced towards the edge of the city where the dome of the translucent purple shields became a wall. The world beyond it swam, appearing quite distorted. Captain Panaka had said the shields meant that no one got in or out of the city. What was the Sith acolyte going to do, try to ram it?

Two tiny dots grew into view beyond the shields- they appeared to be droids. A circular spot thinned to transparent lilac and the droids passed right through- immediately followed by the speeder of the Sith acolyte. Hardly a moment after they passed through, the hole shut and the shields thickened again.

They were going to crash! Arin held her breath, powerless to do anything. She rocked sideways as Zade spun the speeder, trying to decelerate…

They hit the shield. To Arin's relief they did not disintegrate or explode. They passed right through. But-

"We're falling…" she breathed. Visible sparks jumped along the speeder.

"It shorted out!" said Zade.

Arin's stomach dropped. "We're falling!" she yelled, trying not to shriek.

"I know, I know!" shouted Zade, frantically flicking at the ruined controls.

"We're losing him!" Halyon angrily pointed to the Sith acolyte, who somehow hadn't flown through the shield at its full power. "What were those droids?"

"Halyon, _we're falling_!" Arin wailed. The ground was rushing towards them; they would miss any buildings but they had just flown over a huge cliff over the plains-

Halyon swore loudly. "We'll have to jump."

"What?!" Arin screamed. They were still sailing forward, at least 30 meters above the ground.

"We'll have- to _jump_!"

"This thing's gonna explode when it hits!" said Zade. "It's fried!"

"Now!"

"What? No!" Arin protested, but to no avail. Halyon grabbed her wrist and rolled out of the speeder, tugging her with him. This was such a stupid idea. What had she been thinking? She tumbled through the air, twisting to lay the ground before her. She pushed with the Force as hard as she could and miraculously, everything slowed…

But only slightly. She hit the ground harshly, rolling to a stop. She landed next to Halyon in a tangled heap, gasping.

"Everybody okay?" That was Zade's voice. He was alive, thank the stars.

"Halyon?" She twisted around.

Alive. He groaned as he sat up and Arin let out a deeply held breath.

CRASH.

Everyone's eyes jerked forward to see the red Palace Guard airspeeder collide with the ground in a spectacular fireball.

"We're gonna be in so much poodoo…" said Zade.

Arin's comlink chirped. She answered it readily.

"Where are you?" asked Naia. "What's going on?"

Arin frowned, looking to the other two. They shrugged. Arin sighed. "Well… the Sith acolyte got away. He left the city."

"What? What happened?"

"We chased him on an airspeeder. He got through the shields, and we didn't."

"How?"

"These two droids created a hole somehow and he passed through at the exact same time."

Kloré's voice took over. "What kind of droids?"

Arin looked to Zade and Halyon for help. "I don't know. What kind?" she asked them.

"Maybe repair droids?" suggested Zade. "They had a bunch of arms on them."

Arin held down the button on her comlink. "We think they were repair droids."

"Is anyone hurt?" Kloré asked.

"Everyone's okay," replied Arin. "The speeder blew up, though."

There was static for a moment. "I don't even want to know," said Kloré tiredly. Zade and Halyon hid lopsided grins. Poor Kloré. "You're down below the cliff, aren't you? I can see the smoke from here."

"Yeah, we're down there."

"I…" Kloré's voice faltered. "The shields are stuck, so I can't send a shuttle to pick you up. You'll have to walk to the base of the cliff and make your own way back inside the shield."

The three younglings looked at each other.

"Why can't she send a shuttle?" Zade asked. "What does she mean, the shields are stuck up?"

Halyon jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "That apparently happens when you try to go through the shields. And if nobody can lower them, well… nothing can get through."

"But we'll be okay, right?" Arin asked. "Do you think-" she reached to her belt for her lightsaber, and ignited it. Phew, it still worked. She clipped it back to her utility belt.

"Are you there?" came Kloré's voice over the comlink again.

Arin lifted her forearm back near her mouth. "Yeah, we're here. We'll find a way up." How long would that take? An hour? Maybe more?

They glanced back at the smoldering wreckage of the speeder, then forward towards the towering cliff face, which was perhaps a kilometer in front of them.

"Well, I guess we'd better get walking," said Zade.


	18. The Finishing Touch

_=Nelson's stolen speeder, above the plains=_

He'd done it.

Ricco Bene, Sith initiate and acolyte to Darth Tyranus himself, had pulled it off. He stole a glance over his shoulder at a plume of smoke rising behind him, and the purple glow of the still-active shield.

"Incredible," he said, shaking his head with a wry grin as he faced back forward. His careful, resourceful planning had paid off marvelously. He couldn't wait to recount his brilliance to his master.

Bene leaned back in the seat, coasting far away from Theed into the night as he ran it all over in his head, rehearsing what he'd say. First, he'd mention the bombs. The first bomb was an ion bomb (which had already detonated without a noticeable blast) intended to freeze the shield generator interface system, locking it in place, so no one could follow him out of the city… not easily, at least. The second was a distraction placed in the plasma refinery complex. It bought him the necessary time he needed. The third was placed in the archives, which used a dated comm channel to call the repair station. Upon finding damage, the facility's computers would summon repair droids that would use a code to override the shields in a patch Bene had already weakened. He'd timed his escape perfectly with their arrival, and he knew his master would be pleased.

But then the next part was his favorite. He reached into his pocket for the remote detonator he'd stolen from an office in the palace earlier, and looked at it proudly. He'd delayed the Jedi long enough, but this would create enough mass chaos to seal them in Theed for sure.

With his thumb he depressed the button, and when the echoing and booming of the premature firework show reached his ears, he smiled.

A perfect finishing touch.

Not only had he done a bit of damage to Theed, he'd delayed the Jedi from joining an offense on Geonosis, sabotaged their festival, _and_ hired a pair of eyes and ears to put into the Jedi temple. Bene, of course, had bluffed to Vin Rajik about having any sort of control over his sister, but Vin's feelings towards her were so obvious and clear Bene couldn't resist threatening her to manipulate him. If he had the time, perhaps he'd track her down himself to make good on his threat, but he'd consider that later.

Now, he centered himself as the wind ruffled his hair and thundered in his ears. He could celebrate later; now wasn't the time to get cocky. He wasn't off Naboo _yet_.

He lowered his eyes to look at the dashboard of his stolen speeder. Its controls were unfamiliar to him, but after a moment of hunting he was able to find the long-range transmitter. Bene punched in a series of well-memorized coordinates and waited for his master's response.


End file.
